The 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse: Possible cause and impacts of the worst human and environmental disaster in Brazil     

《International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation》2020

On 25th January 2019, the tailings dam of the Brumadinho iron mine operated by Vale S/A failed catastrophically. The death toll stood at 259 and 11 people remained missing as of January 2020. This tragedy occurred three years after Mariana’s tailings dam rupture – the most significant tailing dam disaster in Brazilian history. Thus far, a systematic investigation on the cause and effect of the failure has yet to be conducted. Here, we use satellite-driven soil moisture index, multispectral high-resolution imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) products to assess pre-disaster scenarios and the direct causes of the tailings dam collapse. A decreasing trend in the moisture content at the surface and the full evanescence of pond water through time (2011–2019) suggest that the water was gradually penetrating the fill downwards and caused the seepage erosion, saturating the tailings dam. Large-scale slumping of the dam (extensional failure) upon the rupture indicates that the materials of the fill were already saturated. InSAR measurements reveal a dramatic, up to 30 cm subsidence in the dam (at the rear part) within the past 12 months before the dam collapse, signifying that the sediments had been removed from the fill. Although the information on the resistance level of the tailings dam to infiltrations is not available, these pieces of evidence collectively indicate that the seepage erosion (piping) is the primary cause for the chronic weakening of the structure and, hence, the internal “liquefaction” condition. Upon the collapse, the fully saturated mud tailings flowed down the gentle slope area (3.13 × 10⁶ m²), where 73 % were originally covered by tree, grass or agricultural tracts. The toxic mud eventually reached the Paraopeba River after travelling 10 km, abruptly increasing the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and the toxic chemical elements in the river, immediately affecting the local livelihoods that depend on its water. The Paraopeba River is a major tributary of the San Francisco River, the second-longest river in Brazil reaching the Atlantic Ocean. We anticipate that the environmental repercussions of this toxic seepage will be felt throughout the entire basin, especially riverine communities located downstream.  相似文献   

南沙群岛珊湖礁潟湖垂直沉降颗粒物中主要元素的生物地球化学过程研究     

宋金明  李鹏程 《海洋学报》1998,20(4):52-59

本文首次报道用沉积物捕捉器（ＳＴ）研究南沙群岛珊瑚礁湖沉降颗粒物中主要元素垂直通量、垂直转移形态、再循环过程及垂直通量与表层海水温度的关系。结果显示,作为生物化学沉积标志的Ｃａ、Ｍｇ具有最高的垂直通量,达１．４和０．１ｇ／（ｍ２·ｄ）以上,作为生物富集标志的Ｂｒ、Ⅰ也有较高的垂直转移量;垂直转移形态的研究表明Ｎａ、Ｋ、Ｃａ、Ｍｇ、Ｓｒ主要以碳酸盐结合态向海底转移,其中Ｃａ、Ｍｇ、Ｓｒ占９９％以上,Ｆｅ、Ｉ、Ｂａ主要以铁锰氧化物结合态向海底输送,在垂直沉降颗粒物到达海底后,有相当部分的主要元素可再循环进入水体中,Ｂｒ、Ｉ、Ｋ、Ａｌ的绝大部分进入再循环,Ｍｇ、Ｎａ、Ｃｌ有一半左右进入再循环,Ｃａ、Ｓｒ、Ｂａ、Ｆｅ大部分被埋葬;Ｎａ等９种元素的垂直转移量随ＳＳＴ呈指数降低响应,对ＳＳＴ的敏感性Ｆｅ＞Ｂｒ＞Ｓｒ＞Ｃａ＞Ｎａ＞Ｃｌ＞Ｍｇ＞Ｉ＞Ａｌ,这再一次验证了ＣａＣＯ３随温度升高,其溶解度降低、化学沉积量增加这一自然界的普遍规律,表明在珊瑚礁海水的垂直沉降颗粒物中主要元素是作为珊瑚的重要成分与ＣａＣＯ３一同被沉积下来的,ＣａＣＯ３起到稀释剂的作用。  相似文献   

中国北方四条河口的汞——以大辽河、鸭绿江、滦河、东村河为例     

刘素美  张经  崔俊芝 《中国海洋大学学报(自然科学版)》2001,31(1):136-142

分别于1989年，1992年，1991年8月，1991年5月对大辽河口、鸭绿江口、滦河口、东村河口水体中总汞进行了取样和分析，其中又对大辽河口和东村河口进行了溶解态汞的分析。大辽河口和东村河口溶解态汞的含量分别为85～460ng/L和180～500ng/L，平均值分别为210和324ng/L；总汞含量分别为95～550和400～1000ng/L，平均值分别为310和640ng/L。大辽河河流段和河口段溶解态汞和颗粒态汞是主要存在形式。河口溶解态汞和颗粒态汞随氯度变化趋势相似。东村河口溶解态汞约占50%。鸭绿江口和滦河口总汞含量分别为30～2500和3700～6700ng/L，平均值分别为700和5700ng/L。鸭绿江口总汞随氯度变化趋势与随浊度变化趋势一致。而在滦河口总汞含量随两者变化趋势则不同。还讨论了滦河口、东村河口、鸭绿江口和大辽河口汞的污染程度。  相似文献   

黄、东海陆架区悬浮体输运的时空变化规律   总被引：54，自引：5，他引：54  

孙效功  方明  黄伟 《海洋与湖沼》2000,31(6):581-587

利用ＮＯＡＡ卫星１９９５年１月－１９９７年２月的海洋遥感资料系统的分析和研究了黄、东海陆架区悬浮体向深海输运的时间和空间变化规律,并对其动力机制进行了分析和探讨,研究结果表明,黄、东海悬浮体在１１－３月份向外海输运阶段,５－９月份则同近海为内储阶段,４月份为输变退的月份,１０月份则是退变输的月份,其中３月份黄、东海悬浮体向东海深海输运得最远,９月份则向岸退得最远;黄、东海表面悬浮体向东海的输运范围一般皆位于１００ｍ等深线以内,并很难越过黑潮水系,而输向深海的悬浮体又大都在黄海暖流的作用下回输黄海,其大部输向韩国西南海域。  相似文献   

胶州湾悬浮颗粒现场剖面测量与结果分析   总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6  

魏建伟  石学法  方习生  张伟滨  王宗灵 《海洋科学进展》2006,24(1):74-82

应用LISST-100现场激光粒度仪于2003年3月在胶州湾首次进行了悬浮颗粒剖面测量,获得了2个剖面的悬浮颗粒现场粒度分布光衰减资料。2个剖面的悬浮颗粒分布自上而下非常相似,颗粒平均大小多为38~74μm,其中1~20μm细颗粒组分所占的比重高。水柱表层悬浮颗粒略粗于底部悬浮颗粒,而且内湾悬浮颗粒比外湾粗。水柱近底层悬浮颗粒粒径同底质浮泥颗粒粒径大小相近,颗粒组成也非常相似。悬浮颗粒浓度自上而下逐渐增大,接近底部颗粒浓度急剧增高。根据现场测量数据可以马上对悬浮颗粒有效密度、颗粒沉降速率和通量做粗略估算。分析结果表明,光衰减系数同颗粒浓度显著相关,推断光衰减主要是由1~250μm悬浮颗粒的散射作用引起的,而<20μm的悬浮粒子对光衰减作用起着主要控制作用。光衰减系数与颗粒投影面积显著相关,表明颗粒投影面积可以作为遥感离水反射率的替代指标。  相似文献   

Leachable particulate iron in the Columbia River,estuary, and near-field plume     

Sherry M. Lippiatt  Matthew T. Brown  Maeve C. Lohan  Carolyn J.M. Berger  Kenneth W. Bruland 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

This study examines the distribution of leachable particulate iron (Fe) in the Columbia River, estuary, and near-field plume. Surface samples were collected during late spring and summer of 2004–2006 as part of four River Influence on Shelf Ecosystems (RISE) cruises. Tidal amplitude and river flow are the primary factors influencing the estuary leachable particulate Fe concentrations, with greater values during high flow and/or spring tides. Near the mouth of the estuary, leachable particulate Fe [defined as the particulate Fe solubilized with a 25% acetic acid (pH 2) leach containing a weak reducing agent to reduce Fe oxyhydroxides and a short heating step to access intracellular Fe] averaged 770 nM during either spring tide or high flow, compared to 320 nM during neap tide, low flow conditions. In the near-field Columbia River plume, elevated leachable particulate Fe concentrations occur during spring tides and/or higher river flow, with resuspended shelf sediment as an additional source to the plume during periods of coastal upwelling and spring tides. Near-field plume concentrations of leachable particulate Fe (at a salinity of 20) averaged 660 nM during either spring tide or high flow, compared to 300 nM during neap tide, low flow conditions. Regardless of tidal amplitude and river flow, leachable particulate Fe concentrations in both the river/estuary and near-field plume are consistently one to two orders of magnitude greater than dissolved Fe concentrations. The Columbia River is an important source of reactive Fe to the productive coastal waters off Oregon and Washington, and leachable particulate Fe is available for solubilization following biological drawdown of the dissolved phase. Elevated leachable Fe concentrations allow coastal waters influenced by the Columbia River plume to remain Fe-replete and support phytoplankton production during the spring and summer seasons.  相似文献   

Suspended particulate matter in the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf surface layer and development of a remote sensing algorithm     

P. Larouche  U. Boyer-Villemaire 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Remote sensing of chlorophyll concentration is potentially affected by the presence of inorganic matter in the water column. Seasonal variability of total suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and its partition into organic and inorganic fractions was thus measured in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence during five cruises. These measures were made in the surface layer down to the depth of the 0.1% light level. Results indicate that vertical variability was small for the entire study area. Data analysis lead to the definition of two main regions having different SPM characteristics: 1) the estuary zone characterized by a strong spatial variability, intermediate SPM concentrations and a clear spring phytoplankton bloom that is combined to an increased inorganic matter load; 2) the gulf region characterized by a relatively low SPM concentration and phytoplankton blooms in the spring and fall periods. Combined with in situ measurements of remote sensing reflectances, the database was used to validate existing inorganic matter retrieval algorithms and develop a new one better adapted to the low concentrations encountered in the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf.  相似文献   

长江口海域悬浮颗粒有机物的稳定氮同位素分布及其生物地球化学意义   总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4  

刘秀娟  俞志明  宋秀贤  曹西华 《海洋科学》2010,34(1):11-17

对2006年2,5,8,11月份长江口海域表层水体中的悬浮颗粒物(SPM)进行稳定氮同位素分析,根据不同季节、不同区域内其1δ5N值的变化研究水体中氮的迁移、转化等生物地球化学过程,揭示其环境行为,从而对该海域的氮循环机制进行探索。研究发现:该海域悬浮颗粒有机物的稳定氮同位素组成(1δ5Np)分布范围较宽,在0.6‰~8.2‰之间,具有明显的时空分布特点,反映了不同程度的陆源输入和氮的生物地球化学过程的影响。口门内,表层水体中1δ5Np的变化主要受长江径流的陆源输入影响,生物地球化学作用影响较弱;最大浑浊带,水体中的悬浮颗粒有机氮受微生物的降解活动影响明显,各季节均存在不同程度的颗粒物分解作用;外海区,陆源输入减弱,悬浮颗粒物的δ15Np值主要受微藻的同化吸收作用以及一定程度的颗粒物分解作用影响。  相似文献   

Skeletal linear extension rates of the foliose scleractinian coral Merulina ampliata (Ellis & Solander, 1786) in a turbid environment     

Angela Dikou 《Marine Ecology》2009,30(4):405-415

Skeletal linear extension rates of a foliaceous, IndoPacific, skiophilous, heterotrophic, scleractinian Merulina ampliata (Ellis & Solander 1786) were obtained along a sediment/nutrient load gradient at the southern islands of Singapore. Measurements were made during November 1999– November 2000 using the alizarin red‐S staining technique. Suspended particulate matter concentration (r²_adj = 0.76), turbidity (r²_adj = 0.59), the organic content of suspended sediments (r² = 0.50), and nitrite‐nitrate concentration (r²_adj = 0.50) were significant predictors of the skeletal linear extension rate of M. ampliata. Maximum linear extension growth rates of M. ampliata (mean ± SD: 1.43 ± 0.67–3.26 ± 0.59 cm·year^?1) were comparable to 15‐year‐old accounts at the same research sites, indicating adaptation to low‐light, high‐sediment waters.  相似文献   

Resolving physically and biologically driven suspended particulate matter dynamics in a tidal basin with a distribution-based model   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Joeran Maerz  Kai Wirtz 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2009

Understanding suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics in coastal waters is crucial to assess changes in coastal sediment budgets and biogeochemical fluxes. SPM dynamics are subject to various physical and biological factors and processes such as, e.g. tidal currents and aggregation which can be enhanced by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that are produced by algae and bacteria. It is still unclear how the different factors and processes interact and together determine SPM dynamics. To unravel the interacting processes and factors, we propose a new distribution-based modeling approach. Based on the derivation of explicit equations for size distribution characteristics of SPM such as the average radius, we derived a model of reduced complexity characterized by low initialization and parameterization effort as well as low computational cost. The proposed 0D model includes the processes of aggregation and fragmentation due to shear, aggregation due to differential settling, deposition, resuspension and tidal exchange, and describes the evolution of the SPM concentration in the water column linked by the settling velocity to the change of the mass average radius of the aggregate distribution. A systematic parameter variation for critical bottom shear stress of erosion, the size of resuspended aggregates, the fractal dimension, the collision efficiency, and the aggregate strength has been performed and compared to observations in the back-barrier basin of Spiekeroog Island in the German Wadden Sea. This analysis confirms the hypothesis that in winter biological influences on SPM dynamics are smaller compared to summer. This is mainly reflected by a significant shift in the various parameters. We hence conclude that biological control mechanisms have a much more quantitative relevance for SPM dynamics than currently represented by state-of-the-art SPM transport models.  相似文献